The Checklist for Closing Your Company

The decision to close down your company involves more than merely walking away after closing the doors, irrespective of the size of the business. Many legal and logistical processes will need to be catered to in order to avoid the possibility of having to deal with any legal complications.

Whether it’s a solvent or insolvent winding up through which your business is closing, we run through a basic outline of compliance matters you’ll need to take care of to get it right.

Selecting the best approach to closing your business

Essentially you have two options through which to go ahead with the closing down of your business. Solvent, if the company has the ability to pay its bills, and insolvent if it can’t.

In the case that the company is solvent an application to have to have it struck off the Register of Companies can be made, or alternatively the process of a members’ voluntary liquidation can commence.

In the case of the company not being able to pay its bills when seeking to close down, the interests of any creditors involved in the business will take legal priority over the shareholders, in which case the creditors’ voluntary liquidation process will need to be used. As part of this process, 75% of the shareholders will have to agree to liquidation, with the company put through compulsory liquidation should the shareholders not come to an agreement. Companies such as Irwin Insolvency may be able to help you manage your assets and selling them off.

Informing affected parties

In addition to informing the HMRC of your plans to close the company down, all affected parties need to be informed before you apply for liquidation (or to have the company struck off). If you are the owner of a limited liability company and looking to close down, there are certain forms to be filled and people to address. Companies such as Click Dissolve are there to help you to Dissolve a California LLC (or an LLC wherever you are based) and guide you in the right direction when it comes to closing down.

Selling remaining inventory and assets

If the company is going through an insolvent liquidation, advice from independent insolvency specialists will do you good. Otherwise if it’s a solvent liquidation then you might be able to distribute some of the company’s assets to shareholders. Either way, all remaining assets and inventory will need to be sold.

Settling outstanding debts

It will be required of you to pay back any outstanding amounts of money you owe your creditors after informing them of your plans to close the business.

Paying employees and shutting down payroll

Prior to the business closing, all staff which is employed by the business will be entitled to their full, final pay, which may include holiday pay and the likes. The company will enter into insolvent liquidation if it is unable to pay its staff in full.

Accounts finalisation

Your bank statements, receipts and invoices should be kept for seven years following the company’s liquidation or striking-off as part of the required business documentation to be kept on record. This forms part of finalising all accounts, which includes applying for a Company Tax Return, settling all taxes and sending the final trading accounts to the HMRC (explicitly informing them of this fact).

You will likely need to make use of the services of an insolvency specialist if you want to make sure you do everything correctly with regards to closing down your business, a service which perhaps proves to be more critical in the event that you’ve been served with a winding up petition as well.